Millions of people worldwide suffer from arthritis, a common condition that causes pain and swelling of the joints.
In order to understand arthritis and how to treat it, it’s helpful to know the two main types.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the natural wear and tear of the tissues in joints like your knees, wrists, fingers, hips and ankles. This causes friction between the bones, which leads to pain, swelling and inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a bit different and harder to pinpoint. It is an autoimmune disease which can radiate painful symptoms throughout your whole body.
Neither form of arthritis is wholly curable, but there are several natural remedies that can reduce the symptoms and make the condition more manageable. Here’s how an assisted living community like Heritage Woods of DeKalb can help seniors stay on top of arthritic conditions.
- Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
Regular exercise does more than help you stay flexible, strong and relieve stress. The human body is made to move, and this is what will keep your joints loose and moving correctly. Exercise literally gets the blood flowing and increases your metabolism which helps reduce swelling and pain. As a major benefit, exercise helps you manage your weight. The higher your body weight, the more strain your joints undergo, which contributes to painful arthritic conditions.
- Use Hot and Cold Remedies
In addition to exercise, proper allocation of hot and cold therapies are a great way to treat arthritis discomfort. Taking hot showers or baths or using a heating pad on the affected joints will help reduce stiffness and increase flexibility. When not using heat, cold treatments like icepacks or even a cool shower will reduce swelling and soreness. When you alternate these two, you’re giving your joints a healthy mix of staying warm and loose, and the inflammation down. Both are effective in treating arthritic symptoms.
You may not realize it, but something as simple as maintaining a healthy diet can help reduce pain and swelling in your joints. You may be asking how? Well, the nutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables contain many antioxidants, which can fight swelling and inflammation in your body. So, when you trade in sweets for healthy foods throughout the day, you’ll not only be getting a steady influx of essential vitamins and minerals, but it will also act as a boost to your immune system. This improves your overall health which helps your body react better to discomfort and pain.
These are just a few healthy ways to treat the conditions of arthritis naturally, so you can enjoy your normal activities with more energy, flexibility and less pain.
For more information about how an assisted living community can help seniors with arthritis pain, visit our website or call 815-787-6500.
Heritage Woods of DeKalb
2626 N. Annie Glidden Rd
DeKalb, IL 60115
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